Animage’s coverage of Char’s Counterattack in the September issue features much more art and information compared to the other magazines we covered from this month. In addition, it includes a press release written by Director Tomino and some brief statements from other members of the staff.
[cover art by Haruhiko Mikimoto, character designer for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket]
Amuro and Char’s Final Battle
Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack
Gundam’s Newtype theory, which was originally used to create character drama, at some point became the main theme. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack attempts to settle this by concluding the story of Amuro and Char once again. Finally announced, it will be released by Shochiku nationwide next spring!
The Final Moments of Amuro and Char
From Director Yoshiyuki Tomino
On the production of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
10 years have passed since the original project.
The reason that this story, which was not originally supposed to last this long, was by great fortune able to continue is thanks to the support of the viewers, audience, and readers. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Because of this, I cannot help but feel that Gundam has surpassed the level of the work of a single creator. When I was given the task of scriptwriting and directing this time, I was at a loss as to how I should respond to this pressure. However, there are limits to what a single director can do. I was prepared to not be able to meet all the audience’s expectations.
Therefore, I wanted to depict the ideal that First Gundam wanted to convey.
The ideal is the theme that “people should be able to innovate.” This is a theme that can never be conveyed too many times.
So, in order to emphasize that potential, I decided to go with a story that is separate from the characters from First Gundam, even though it may deviate from an ideal story.
This is a story about recognizing that such harshness reflects the reality of modern times. That’s why I want to emphasize the persistence of human innovation.
It mostly likely ends in tragedy. However, this does not mean the end of the story itself.
Fortunately, “Gundam” itself is a machine called a mobile suit. In time, new people will say goodbye to making “Gundam” and the drama will move toward innovation.
This structure is what Gundam is all about.
Under the name “Gundam,” we will continue to talk about the people, the spirit, and life that have been passed down since ancient times.
We would like to report that we are working hard on the production of Char’s Counterattack, which will serve as one of the new cornerstones of Gundam.
Thank you.
(From press sheet)
Char Aznable
Char finally stands as the leader of Neo Zeon. He has now taken off his mask and sunglasses, but that doesn’t mean he’s thrown everything away. He is simply presenting himself this way in order to settle things once and for all. And he tries to destroy the Earth, the place where it all began.
Amuro Ray
Amuro has finally ascended back into the twinkling stars of outer space. However, for some reason, he continues to reject Lalah’s will and fights against Char. What did the One Year War and the Gryps Conflict with the Titans mean to him? What are his fierce eyes trying to tell us?
Will be released by Shochiku nationwide in spring 1988.
Universal Century 0093, Amuro is 30 years old, Char is 34 years old, and 14 years have passed since they lost Lalah…
The story begins on the moon. It has been 14 years since the One Year War between Zeon and the Federation, and 7 years since the Gryps Conflict between AEUG, the Titans, and the Axis forces. However, for the majority of humanity that left Earth and began to seek independence, their power did not diminish even during those two wars in space.
Even though they had built a sufficient habitat in space, the people living on Earth believed that they were elite leaders and continued to pursue policies that favored the Earth, and for the third time, the anger of Spacenoids was building up.
It was then that the missing Char Aznable reappeared and took control of the Axis forces, eventually reviving Neo Zeon.
As the Spacenoids’ collective will, Char plans to purge humanity on Earth. To oppose them, the Earth Federation fights back with the Londo Bell Corps led by Bright and Amuro.
Char and Amuro meet again on the battlefield. The two may want to bring closure to everything, including their past with Lalah, before they lose their “youth”.
However, despite Amuro’s efforts, Char’s plan to drop Axis is carried out. If Axis were to fall to the surface with all the nuclear weapons stored inside it, the entire Earth would become a dead planet!
As the feelings of the various people surrounding them intersect, the final battle between the two begins, with the future of the Earth and humanity at stake…
“A Cosmic Glow” and Char’s Counterattack
This series, which began with the broadcast of Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, will come to an end with this work, Char’s Counterattack. Of course, this is shaped by the deaths of the two main characters, Amuro and Char, and it will also mark the end of their drama.
14 years have passed in the story, and for viewers who watched Gundam, it will have been 9 years since then when the movie is released next spring. In the second work, Zeta Gundam, although there were some ups and downs, the two men once showed that they understood one another, such as during the events of Dakar. However, in the end, they were still two people who had to face each other.
In this story, set in Universal Century 0093, Amuro is 30 years old and Char is 34 years old, which you could say are the ages at which both characters can barely hold on to their youthfulness. In that sense, the conditions for a confrontation are more than sufficient. And it can be said that this kind of battle, where there is no longer any need to deceive yourself, is the same as the ferocious struggle that was shown to us in “A Cosmic Glow” (episode 41 of Gundam). However, from Lalah’s perspective, this must be a sad conflict. Yet it can’t end in the same way again.
“You still don’t know the real ‘Gundam’…!” (from the press sheet) We can definitely say that these words represent everything about Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack. Now, the time has finally come.
Hathaway Noa
One of Bright and Mirai’s children who appeared in Hong Kong City in Zeta. He parted ways with his mother and sister, Chemin, and came alone to join his father, who is fighting in space. On the way, he meets Quess and is drawn to her…
Chan Agi
A female Federation military officer who works with Amuro. Noticing Amuro’s naivety, which he doesn’t show often anymore, she approaches him.
v(Nu) Gundam (tentative)
In the story, Amuro first pilots the Re-GZ, a mass-produced Zeta Gundam, but midway through, he pilots the new mobile suit v Gundam and fights Char. Amuro himself joined the design staff and it was built at Anaheim Electronics on the Moon. Although it cannot transform, it seems to be equipped with a new type of Psycommu and bits. Note that v is the Greek letter nu.
Sa Dabi [sic] (tentative)
Char’s exclusive mobile suit is made with the latest technology as of Universal Century 0093, and boasts transcendental maneuverability and fighting skills. Naturally, it is equipped with the Psycommu system and bits. He pilots this unit and, along with Quess, Gyunei, and others, fights back against Amuro and the allied Londo Bell Corps.
Gyunei Guss
A Cyber Newtype of the Neo Zeon army. It is said that he has not been given mental control treatment as strong as Rosamia or Four. He doesn’t like Quess getting close to Char.
Quess Paraya
A girl who is becoming enlightened as a Newtype. However, she is not suited for combat, and seems to be a naïve personality similar to Lalah. She sympathizes with Char and joins him.
Quess Paraya, the second girl whose heart was stolen by Char.
Does Char’s spirit have the power to draw in lonely girls? Quess Paraya, the new girl who is attracted to him, also has a keen sensitivity like Lalah. However, for some reason, she dislikes Amuro. Is it because Amuro rejects Lalah’s ideas? Or is it because he thinks that the essence of Newtypes is kindness?
What is the relationship to Zeta and ZZ…?
As for the characters, it seems that not many characters can appear because the story has to be condensed in the two-hour movie, and because the drama is focused as much as possible on Amuro and Char. However, although we cannot share photos at this time, it has been decided that Bright, Mirai, and others will appear on screen.
Nevertheless, in terms of story, both Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ can be interpreted as in-universe historical events. Moreover, as for ZZ, neither Char nor Amuro are directly involved in the story, so it can be said that it will have little to do with the drama of this movie.
The staff expresses their enthusiasm at the production presentation, aiming for the final destination of “Tomino Gundam”
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Original story, screenplay, storyboard, and director. He is the person who could be called the creator of the Gundam series, including Mobile Suit Gundam, The Gundam Movie Trilogy, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. He served as the chief director for all of them. He has also done many other works.
When I come to presentations like this one today, I personally there’s one thing that I don’t like. Many of the staff sitting here on the production side entered this world after seeing and studying First Gundam (laughs). And now they are the ones making Gundam for me. You might say that’s just the times we live in, but for a creator like myself, I think that parts of Gundam have been the same for the past seven or eight years. So I wanted this movie to be a story that brings Amuro and Char to some sort of conclusion, and I’m wondering if it will break that pattern in its own way. Yet it is quite depressing to me that the staff actually working to make the film loved First Gundam so much.
However, I’ve always thought that anime is a job for young people, so I’m very happy and thankful that I can still be involved in this way. Therefore, in order to create the next Gundam, I would like to see Char’s Counterattack become a success, and I would like to ask for your cooperation in making that happen.
Also, regarding the characters in Zeta and ZZ, although they appear somewhat, I’m basically ignoring them. I would like to see such elements in the next Gundam. I don’t necessarily want to do it myself, but I would like to ask young people to do it. For now, I would like to close the book regarding Char and Amuro. I’m doing this because I want to close the book in my own way, rather than just finish it.
But one thing that bothers me is that I’m a TV person, so I’m used to working and doing stories week by week, so I get angry and think, “Were movies always this short?” It’s very troubling that I’m not able to tell much of a story (laughs).
Shigemi Ikeda
Art Director. Projects he has worked on to date include Aura Battler Dunbine and Heavy Metal L-Gaim.
In late May, I went on a trip to gather material in America. The art for Char’s Counterattack is a result of that effort, and I hope that everyone will be surprised by the result. I want to create scenes that are filled with a sense of life, so please take a look, if you will.
Yutaka Izubuchi
Mobile suit and mechanical designer. Projects he has worked on include guest mecha designs for Aura Battler Dunbine.
Normally, for a job like mine, I would be involved in mechanical design, but this time I only designed mobile suits. I received this title because the other designs were handled by different people. I’m sure there will be a lot of criticism, but I tried to draw Gundam in my own way as seen from an outsider perspective.
Kenji Uchida
Producer at Sunrise and for this production. Involved in Tomino’s works after “Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam”.
Since I am the producer, I would like to manage the production so that the enthusiasm of the staff is reflected in the film, and so that the audience who come to see the film can feel that as well. I want to create something that surpasses the standard of anime works to date.
Hidetoshi Omori
Animation director, and animator affiliated with Atelier Giga. He also designs characters and mecha. His works include Heavy Metal L-Gaim and Aura Battler Dunbine.
I’m an animation director, but for this Gundam project, I’m joining as the mechanical animation director. I also loved Gundam when I was a student and even participated in the previous movie versions. This time, I spoke with Director Tomino about how the Gundam should move, and although it might be a bit of a stretch to say it is something that has never been done before, I want to make it as enjoyable as possible for both myself and the audience.
Hiroyuki Kitazume
Character designer and animation director. Handled character designs for Atelier Giga as the presiding animator. His representative works include Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Aura Battler Dunbine, etc.
This time, I feel honored to be in such an important position as character designer and animation director, but at the same time, I only feel half the joy because the responsibility is a bit too much for me. However, this is a very good opportunity for me as well, so I will do my best to meet the demands of Director Tomino and the people who have high expectations for me. If you could, please lend me your support.